Biologist Valentina Gómez-Bahamón and her team have investigated two subspecies of the fork-tailed flycher bird that live in the same

Question

Biologist Valentina G&oacute;mez-Baham&oacute;n and her team have investigated two subspecies of the fork-tailed flycher bird that live in the same region in Colombia, but one subspecies migrates south for part of the year, and the other doesn&rsquo;t. The researchers found that, due to slight differences in feather shape, the feathers of migratory forked-tailed flycher males make a sound during flight that is higher pitched than that made by the feathers of nonmigratory males. The researchers hypothesize that fork-tailed flycher females are attracted to the specific sound made by the males of their own subspecies, and that over time the females&rsquo; preference will drive further genetic and anatomical divergence between the subspecies. Which finding, if true, would most directly support G&oacute;mez-Baham&oacute;n and her team&rsquo;s hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

Choice B is the best answer because it presents a finding that, if true, would most directly support G&oacute;mez-Baham&oacute;n and her team&rsquo;s hypothesis about fork-tailed flychers. The text indies that although two subspecies of the birds live in the same region, the tail feathers of the migrating males make a higher-pitched sound than the tail feathers of the nonmigrating males do. G&oacute;mez-Baham&oacute;n and her team hypothesize that female fork-tailed flychers are attracted to the particular sound made by the tail feathers of males of their own subspecies, which will bring about additional &ldquo;genetic and anatomical divergence&rdquo; between the two subspecies. If it were found that the pitch generated by the tail feathers of migrating males is getting higher over successive generations, it would indie that the shape of the migrating subspecies&rsquo; tail feathers is diverging further from that of the nonmigrating subspecies. And if females continue to prefer the sounds of the males of their own subspecies, the females of the migrating subspecies will become acclimated to increasingly higher pitches over subsequent generations, causing further divergence between the subspecies. Thus, if it were found that migrating males&rsquo; tail feathers were producing higher pitches over time, that would support the researchers&rsquo; hypothesis. Choice A is incorrect because the researchers&rsquo; hypothesis is that female flychers prefer the sounds produced by the tail feathers of males of their own subspecies, which will lead to further divergence between the two subspecies. This finding is about the shape of wing feathers and how that affects long-distance flight, whereas the hypothesis is about the shape of tail feathers and how that relates to female mate preference. Choice C is incorrect because the researchers&rsquo; hypothesis is that female flychers prefer the sounds produced by the tail feathers of males of their own subspecies, which will lead to further divergence between the two subspecies. This finding focuses on how the tail feather sounds communie different messages, which doesn&rsquo;t address differences between the subspecies or female preferences. Choice D is incorrect because the researchers&rsquo; hypothesis is that female flychers prefer the sounds produced by the tail feathers of males of their own subspecies, which will lead to further divergence between the two subspecies. The finding that breeding habits haven&rsquo;t changed for either subspecies does not, by itself, suggest anything about female preferences or divergence between the two subspecies.

Question biolog